Electroplating support



I March 1940. c. R CRAWFORD 2,194,138

ELECTI'ROPLATING SUPPORT Filed Jan. 17, 1938 'lkrl s m llm L ry Inven'io7" Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'ELECTROPLATINGSUPPORT Carmi R. Crawford, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 17, 1938, Serial No. 185,261 2 Claims. (01. 204-5 Myinvention relates to animprovement in electroplating supports and hasfor one purpose the provision of improved means for supporting articlesin an electroplating bath.

Another purpose is the provision of a support for articles undergoingelectroplating which has means for maintaining a firm conductive contactwith the anode or cathode bar.

Another purpose is the provision of improved means for locking such asupport on an anode or cathode bar in which a handle serves the combinedpurpose of actuating a locking means and of providing for manual liftingof the support when unlocked.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of thespecification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawing, whereand 2 indicates an electroplating bath there:

within. 3, 3 indicate cathode bars and l, I indicate anode bars. It willbe understood that my supporting means may be employed either inconnection with anode or cathode bars. I

. illustrate it however as applied to a support which is secured to thecathode bar or rod.

5 indicates a depending supporting member having thereon a pluralityofhooks 6 on which the work to be plated may be positioned. Secured to orassociated with the upper portion of the bar 5 I illustrate a sleeve Ihaving opposed impossible.

l4 indicates a bore in the Adjustably mounted on the upper end of themember I8 is a locking abutment 2| having any suitable anti-frictionalor gripping surface 22 which may be herein shown as formed of a seriesof intersecting channels whereby points or gripping members 23 areprovided. The member 2| may be made adjustable along the member l8, forexample, by the employment of an adjusting nut 24. Herein shown asformed integral with the sleeve 1 is a supporting and clamping hook 25which may have a reinforcing rib 26 which is shown as adapted tooverhang the cathode bar 3 as shown in Figure 2. The member 5 may simplybe hung on the bar 3 by hooking it over the bar with the portion 25engaging the bar in a two-point contact as'at A, B. The third orgripping contact is provided by the member 2|.

When the handle 12 is in the dotted line position of Figure 2 the member2| is moved to the dotted line position and there is ample room forslipping the hook over the rod 3. When it is hooked on the rod theoperator simply presses down on the handle which raises the toe l3 intothe locking position. The parts are so proportioned that when the handleI! is moved to its bottom position the member l3 passes over center andthe. parts areautomatically locked in position against unintendeddisplacement. At the same time a very close gripping contact is providedbetween the rod 3 and the member 26 whereby a constant and adequateconductive connection is maintained. It will be noted that when thehandle is in its lowest position it is generally horizontal and cannotpenetrate far enough down to get into the bath even though the bath isvery close to the top of the container I.

It will be realized that whereas I have herewith shown and described apractical operative device, nevertheless many changes might be made inthe size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention and I wish, therefore, that my showing betaken' as in a sense diagrammatic.

Myinvention is particularly applicable to us with plating solutions thatare agitated or in plating operations that employ a moving cathode.Recent developments in plating operations include the employment ofagitated baths or moving cathodes and hence the maintenance of a propercontact between the cathode and the plating support is of particularimportance.

I claim:

1. In an electroplating support, an elongated body portion adapted todepend within an electrolytic plating bath, a cathode bar engaging hookin conductive relation with the upper end of said body portion andvertically aligned with the upper end thereof, a cathode bar grippingmember axially movable in the upper end of said support, and including aportion opposed to said hook and adapted to engage a lower portion ofthe cathode bar, and handle means pivoted on said body portion about ahorizontal axis, and including an outwardly extending handle portion,and a lever portion opposed to said gripping member, and adapted, inresponse to a downward movement of said handle portion, to thrust saidgripping portion upwardly against the cathode bar, the space between thegripping portion and the hook, when the gripping portion is in withdrawnposition, being sufliciently greater than the diameter of the cathodebar to permit the support readily to be positioned upon such bar, andlimit means adapted to limit the upward movement of said handle portion,said handle portion including an element outwardly extending from thebody portion when the handle portion is in upward position, whereby thesupport may readily be applied to or removed from the cathode bar.

2. In an electroplating support, an elongated body portion adapted todepend within an electrolytic plating bath, a cathode bar engaging hookmounted on and vertically aligned with the upper end thereof, an axiallymovable cathode bar gripping member at the upward end of the support,and including a portion opposed to said hook and adapted to engage alower portion of the cathode bar, and handle means mounted adjacent thetop of said body portion and including an outwardly extending handleportion and an inner portion adapted for operative relationship withsaid gripping member, and adapted, in response to manual actuation ofsaid handle portion, to thrust said gripping portion upwardly againstthe cathode bar, the space between the gripping portion and the hook,when the gripping portion is in withdrawn position, being sufilcientlygreater than the diameter of the cathode bar to permit the supportreadily to be positioned upon or removed from said bar.

CARMI R. CRAWFORD.

